1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a vehicle collision avoidance supporting apparatus and a vehicle collision avoidance supporting method that support avoidance of a collision of a subject vehicle about to enter an intersection with another vehicle (which may also be referred to as a crossing vehicle) traveling in a direction crossing the travel direction of the subject vehicle and about to enter the intersection.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-102641 discloses a collision avoidance supporting apparatus that supports avoidance of a collision between a subject vehicle and another vehicle at an intersection.
In the technique disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-102641, the collision avoidance supporting apparatus gives a warning about a crossing vehicle (another vehicle) entering the intersection after stopping before the intersection, as viewed from the subject vehicle, earlier than a warning about an oncoming vehicle approaching from the front (see paragraph [0021] in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-102641).
For example, the United States adopts a right-hand traffic system where, in principle, vehicles travel on the right side of the road. In this case, in the depth direction (heading direction) as viewed from a subject vehicle, the distance to another vehicle corning from the sight toward an intersection (i.e., inside of an area where two different roads cross each other) is longer than the distance to another vehicle coming from the left toward the intersection. Therefore, if a warning about the vehicle coming from the left and a warning about the vehicle coming from right are given at the same warning timing, the resulting delay in the timing of the warning about the vehicle coming from the right may cause the subject vehicle to stop within the intersection.
However, the technique disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-102641 does not take into account from which side (right or left) another vehicle is approaching the intersection, and still has room for improvement.